The Power of Fashion Design: How We Come to Trust an Image
When we first meet someone, we actually make judgments even before hearing their voice. As the sharp angles of a suit, the worn condition of sneakers, and the texture of fabric are registered by our brain, the calculation of 'Can I trust this person?' is complete. In a TEDNext talk, costume designer Paul Tazewell defines the process of designing these first impressions as dealing with a 'subconscious language.'
He introduces himself not as a mere tailor but as a storyteller conveying narratives through clothing. Today, through his work, we aim to explore how the clothes we wear and the interfaces we use daily can manipulate others' perceptions and even redesign entrenched biases.
Contents
The Language of the Subconscious and UX
Refactoring History
Visualizing Systems and Dignity
Our Daily Lives as a Stage
1. The Language of the Subconscious and UX
When an audience enters a theater, they instinctively make decisions just by observing silhouettes, colors, and textures before a character even utters a word. They assess whether they should approach that character or remain cautious. Tazewell states that this is how costume designers manipulate the curiosity and skepticism of the audience.
"Costume is a subconscious language." — Paul Tazewell
At this point, costume design surprisingly resembles the User Experience (UX) Design we often encounter. Just as app designers entice users to click through the color and placement of buttons, costume designers guide the audience’s emotional journey through color contrasts and layering.
Visual Guidance: Bright colors draw attention (Call to Action), while darker colors recede into the background or convey weight and seriousness.
Initial Impact: The costume of a character’s first appearance is akin to the 3-second rule, where users judge a service's landing page for its trustworthiness.
Exploiting Prejudices: Sometimes villains are dressed in stereotypical "villain outfits" for quick understanding (Affordance), but Tazewell prefers to twist this approach to challenge the audience with questions.
The intuition we describe as "just a feeling" may actually be the result of someone’s meticulous design.
2. Refactoring History
Paul Tazewell’s renowned work, the musical Hamilton, is a perfect example of how costumes can resurrect dead history into a current narrative. He clothed the Founding Fathers in 18th-century silhouettes (coats, frills, boots), yet he designed these for modern Black and Brown actors.
Imagine not the stiff white male figures common in museum portraits, but vibrant individuals breathing and rapping beside us, leaping across the stage in 18th-century attire. Through this, Tazewell visually proves that history is not a preserved relic but something "alive, charismatic, and complex."
In software development terms, this is akin to refactoring legacy code (historical facts) to fit a modern environment.
Backend: The historical facts and accuracy of the 18th century
Frontend: The body and energy of actors that modern audiences can relate to
Interface: The fit and style of the costumes that seamlessly connect the two
When Thomas Jefferson dons purple velvet reminiscent of pop icon Prince, the audience sees him not as a mundane historical figure but as a contemporary rock star.
3. Visualization of Systems and Dignity
In the films West Side Story (2021) and Wicked, Tazewell's designs go beyond mere 'beauty' to expose social systems.
In West Side Story, the Jets express ruggedness with rough denim and leather, while the Sharks showcase aspiration through vibrant patterns and suits. Yet, Tazewell doesn't just depict them as antagonistic gangs. In the dance scene, colors blend and fade, suggesting that they are individual beings with dignity, ultimately victims under the vast system of urban development.
In Wicked, 'color' itself becomes a question.
Elphaba: Green skin and black clothes = Witch, evil, object of rejection
Glinda: Pink and sparkle = Fairy, good, object of admiration
We readily accept this formula. However, Tazewell magnifies these stereotypes to make the audience question themselves. "Why do we fear black and feel reassured by pink?" Costumes no longer provide answers but trigger a reverse-tracking of our biases' algorithms.
Design is not neutral. It always carries societal consensus and prejudice about 'who deserves respect.'
4. Our Daily Life is a Stage Too
Shall we turn our gaze to our surroundings? In Korean society, the 'power of costume' works even more explicitly. A third-generation conglomerate heir in dramas always wears sharply tailored suits and cool tones, while the virtuous protagonist dons soft knits and warm tones. Through these visual clichés, we grasp characters' social status and personality in a mere 0.1 seconds.
The same applies to us in reality. The trending Personal Color diagnosis is an example of applying Tazewell's theory on an individual level. Finding "the color that suits me" goes beyond a cosmetic purpose, becoming a strategic choice about what 'data packet' we send to others. When Blackpink or BTS wear altered hanbok on stage, it’s not just fashion, but a powerful declaration of "reinterpreting tradition in a modern way."
From our LinkedIn profile pictures to the tone and manner of our Instagram feeds, to the color of the tie we choose for work, we are all designers crafting our own UX.
Costume Design is not merely decorative; it is a visual language that imprints the character's personality and role onto the audience's subconscious. TEDNext speaker Paul Tazewell explains that costumes convey a character's moral alignment through color and silhouette even before they speak, much like how UX design guides user behavior as part of Perception Design.
Paul Tazewell concludes his talk with this profound suggestion:
"Design is never neutral... If wickedness can be designed, then maybe, together, it can be redesigned." (Design is never neutral... If wickedness can be designed, then perhaps we can redesign it together.)
The products we create, the clothes we wear, and the images we consume are never neutral. They function as tools that either exclude someone or confer authority.
But it's precisely because of this that there is hope. If 'wickedness' or 'bias' isn't something that occurs naturally but is something designed by someone, we can Redesign it. Why not take a moment to consider what signals you're sending with the clothes you chose today or even a single button you placed?
TL;DR
Language of the Subconscious: Costumes are the first non-verbal communication tool that influences an audience's judgment of a character, similar to how UX design encourages behavior.
Reinterpretation of History: The musical 'Hamilton' refashions 18th-century costumes for modern bodies, turning the past into 'today's story' instead of a relic.
Redesign of Bias: All design incorporates bias. However, Paul Tazewell suggests that by being aware of this, we can overturn preconceived notions and design new perceptions.
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